


finding words enough

by bene_elim



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: (im not kidding), (thats it. thats the story), Fluff, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash, Selectively Mute Link, hmmmm, im so bad at tags pls let me know if theres anything i need to tag that i havent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27140885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bene_elim/pseuds/bene_elim
Summary: Link doesn't speak. Revali speaks on his behalf.-And that’s how Revali started to speak on behalf of Link. He should have known that after watching him for so long, he would pick up on his body language cues.“Link, do you want the claymore or the spear?” Daruk would ask during the Champions’ training hours.“He’ll take the claymore,” Revali would reply without thought, knowing that last week Link had dedicated himself to the spear and would need to practice with a claymore next.
Relationships: Link & Revali (Legend of Zelda), Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 579





	finding words enough

**Author's Note:**

> im back again with more revalink content, courtesy once again of the botw discord server. thanks to hades for beta-ing! this literally took me an hour and a half so, like, yeah. selectively mute link is a very dear hc for me. hope u guys like it! oh - the title is from and wilt thou have me fashion into speech by elizabeth barrett browning.

It started, Revali thinks, not long after he met Link.

_ This boy _ , he remembers thinking,  _ is ever so rude.  _ The boy just didn’t speak. No matter what Revali said to him, he would garner no reply. And, well, frankly, it annoyed him to the ends of the world. How  _ dare _ this boy think he’s too good to reply to the great Revali?

So of course, he watches Link. Perhaps at first, it’s not a conscious decision, but by the time he notices what he’s doing, he’s already picked up on a number of habits that Link possesses.

First, it’s the hand twitch. It happens every time someone initiates conversation – or at least, that’s what Revali notices. Zelda, it seems, is just annoyed with her knight for not talking and often tries to bait him into a dialogue, to no avail. Mipha, too, seems to talk a lot to Link, though she seems less concerned about getting a reply out of him. Urbosa doesn’t interact with him much, from what Revali observes, but Daruk seems to treat Link like a little brother and, like Mipha, doesn’t seem concerned about receiving a reply. And every time someone talks to link, asks a question (rhetorical or not), Link’s hand twitches. Sometimes, it’s just the fingers. They curl inwards, the ones on his left hand, just so. Other times, it’s his whole hand that twitches, a flinch almost. One so small that if Revali were a lesser Rito, he would certainly miss it.

It’s interesting. But not interesting enough to make him dwell on it for longer than a moment.

The second thing Revali notices, it’s months and months after meeting Link for the first time. Link would occasionally open his mouth, as though to reply, before closing it and keeping his silence. This annoyed Revali: clearly, Link thinks he’s better than anyone and that no-one is worth his words. And, if there was anyone that Link should be making an effort to talk to, it was Revali. He  _ was _ the most talented Rito in the land, the best archer, the best flier. He’s seen that puny bow that Link uses, he’s seen the rag that he calls a  _ paraglider;  _ clearly, Link can stand to learn a thing or two from him. But alas, no matter what goading Revali tries, the most he’s gotten out of the boy is a huff of air, a mouth that opens and then snaps closed.

Once again, it’s hardly interesting enough to hold his interest for more than mere seconds.

The third thing Revali notices is that Link refuses to make eye contact when spoken to. He’s tried everything to make the stupid boy look at him while he’s talking, because it’s  _ rude _ not to engage with someone when speaking, but nothing he does works. Link still looks to the side, to the ground, above his head. And Revali’s been watching him long enough, by this point, to realise that it’s not just with  _ him _ that Link behaves so. It’s everyone. Even Mipha, with whom Revali understands Link to get along with very well.

And, well, by itself this wouldn’t have held his attention. But by this point, perhaps a year after meeting him, Revali has been watching for long enough to piece these behaviours together. 

And he comes to the conclusion that Link doesn’t speak.

Which, obviously, he doesn’t. He noticed that before. Yet he thought that it was just a symptom of rudeness, rather than an actual affliction.

And when he realises this, he decrees to be slightly more patient. Perhaps Link’s shyness will wear off (he tells himself, blissfully ignoring the fact that Link and Mipha have allegedly been friends for years and yet he doesn’t speak to her, either). Perhaps Link will respond to the princess when she suggests a day of riding around Hyrule Field, or when Daruk offers to take them all to a Goron restaurant.

It isn’t long, however, until his patience dissolves. And that’s how Revali started to speak on behalf of Link. He should have known that after watching him for so long, he would pick up on his body language cues.

“Link, do you want the claymore or the spear?” Daruk would ask during the Champions’ training hours.

“He’ll take the claymore,” Revali would reply without thought, knowing that last week Link had dedicated himself to the spear and would need to practice with a claymore next.

Revali doesn’t even remember the first time it happened, only that he drew the attention of all four Champions. They had stared in outright shock for moments, endless moments, before Daruk had laughed awkwardly and moved the conversation on.

“Link, do you want the fish or the meat skewer?” Zelda would ask, having, after so long, warmed up to her personal knight.

“He’ll take the meat,” Revali would reply, already eating his own meat skewer.

“Link, do you think we should stop and rest for the night?” Mipha would ask on missions away from the Castle.

“Yes. It’ll be dark soon,” Revali would reply, watching Link’s mouth snap open.

Every time, Revali notices, Link eases a little. His hand doesn’t twitch as violently; his mouth stops opening; his eyes stay on whoever is speaking to him. Slowly, slowly, Revali sees Link become more and more comfortable.

Soon, Revali notices what he was doing. He’d been answering questions on behalf of Link for the past three months and it hits him, suddenly, in the middle of the night: he’s  _ acting as Link’s voice _ . And immediately he breaks out into somewhat of a cold sweat, for the thought that he’s been putting words into Link’s mouth for three months without permission is terrifying and haunting. He’s better than this. He doesn’t take people’s rights away.

The next time he sees Link, he can hardly look at him for the embarrassment he feels. It’s early in the morning and both are on the training field, Link with that silly sword of his and Revali with his bow. He didn’t mean for them to meet in this way, he just thought that a spot of archery would help calm his nerves after his revelation.

He thinks that, maybe, he should apologise. Would it be weird, to do it now, three months after the first incident of speaking for Link, to apologise now? He’s no good with apologies in the first place; he’s always believed in not being sorry for anything. How did he end up here?

He opens his mouth. Before words can escape him, they’re pushed forcefully back by a shock: Link speaks.

“Thank you.”

Link  _ speaks.  _ To  _ him.  _ He snaps his beak closed, unwillingly recalling to mind all the times he watched Link perform the same action.

Link’s voice is rough, gritty, quiet. He sounds like he needs to clear his throat about three or four times. Link’s voice is soft, dry, wavering. Clearly, it’s been a long time since it was last used.

A frown adorns his face as Revali refocuses. He’s in such a shock that he doesn’t quite process the fact that Link had  _ spoken. _

“’Thank you?’ Whatever for?”

“For…” Link clears his throat. He looks like this is hard for him. “For speaking on my behalf.”

It’s enough to short-circuit Revali’s brain.  _ What? _ He’d just been working up the courage to apologise to him for the very same matter, and Link is  _ thanking him? _

“I… What?” He says.

Link looks mildly annoyed now, as he opens his mouth to once again repeat himself.

“Thank you, for speaking on my behalf. I know that it’s difficult for people to understand what I want sometimes, but you always seem to get it right. Thank you for not making me speak,” Link says. His voice had steadily been getting dryer and raspier the more he spoke, though stronger and slightly louder at the same time. It was an odd contrast, Revali thought distractedly.

It doesn’t take Revali long to realise what has happened. Link’s behaviours when spoken to had been those of fear. As Revali had spoken for him, Link had slowly become more and more relaxed – Revali had noticed this. Link speaking to him now… it must mean he feels safe enough to do so. Suddenly, Revali’s own fears disappear and he plants a smirk on his face.

“Well, I am the great Rito, Revali, after all; what use would I be if I can’t even predict what an insipid boy like you needs?” He says, though it’s half-hearted.

Link rolls his eyes, though there’s a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.  _ Strange,  _ Revali thinks;  _ I’ve never seen him smile before. _

“Thank you, Revali,” Link says again, and in the morning they sit, together, in peace.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, if you can spare me a comment, i'd be very grateful! thanks for reading :)


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